Word Origin & History

decimate c.1600, in reference to the practice of punishing mutinous military units by capital execution of one in every 10, by lot; from L. decimare "to take the tenth," from decimus "tenth" (see decimation). It has been used (incorrectly, to the irritation of pedants) since 1660s for "destroy a large portion of." Related: Decimated (c.1600); decimating (1660s).

Example Sentences for decimate

It is possible that Polynesian rats, arriving with human settlers, may have eaten enough seeds to help to decimate the trees.

The fawns decimated my rose bushes.

In a footnote of his 152-page ruling, he discounted fears that invalidating such patents would decimate the industry.

They did not dominate, or decimate, or elicit fear across the league.

He encounters a world in flux, where human colonization threatens to decimate the jungle and its countless natural resources.

Alzheimer's can take 10 years or longer to decimate the brain.

There were worries that the new visa requirements would decimate our postgraduate numbers.

Surely something better will come along to decimate the status quo.

If it continues much longer, it will decimate the local and state economy.